What Gibbs Doesn't Know Just Might Kill Her
by Alice-JasperHale
Summary: Tony is out of town by Gibbs orders and it seems to be throwing the teams favorite Ninja off. What is really going on, and why is she affected so...    Rated T to be safe. First Fic, ever. Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or Characters, just using them for the story


It was 11p.m. Ziva had been at work for 17 hours and had gotten all of her current case paperwork done along with organizing all of the teams, filing cabinets. It's amazing what you can get done when DiNozzo isn't around.

Just then her phone rang. "Di-David" She stubbled."

"ZIVA! Did you just stumble over your own name? Whatever, that doesn't matter now. I'M HAVING A WARDROBE CRISIS! GET DOWN TO LABBY NOW!" Click.

"I guess I will be right back, Gibbs. It was Abby."

It only took Ziva 7 minutes to clam Abby down and tell her what to wear for her date tonight. Ziva was more aware of the situation than Abby knew, and thought it was cute how freaked she was, but the guy does not care what she wears, he is only happy to be with her.

McGee was sitting at his desk enjoying the DiNozzo free atmosphere, when Ziva was coming up the stairwell and resumed looking through the filing cabinet for what had to be the 10th time that day.

"When is Tony coming back Boss?" McGee questioned.

"Why? You miss him McGee?" Gibbs asked back amused.

"No, Kinda the opposite Boss. The last three days have been very peaceful, not that I don't find Tony a valuable part of the team, Boss." McGee answered his superior.

"I still do not understand why you sent him on an assignment alone? I still think I should have gone as back up." Ziva said calmly.

"It was a conference, Ziva. And I didn't want to send him let alone both of you." Gibbs surprisingly answered back.

After getting her answer, Ziva moved from the filing cabinet by McGee's desk to go sit behind her desk.

"Ziva." McGee said.

"Ziva! Ziva!" McGee continued to call to get her attention.

Ziva stared at Tony's disk in a daze. After a few moments McGee's calls entered her mind. She suddenly shook her head to clear her current thoughts.

"I am sorry McGee. What were you saying?" Ziva said trying to avoid questioning. Luckily Tony wasn't there to pry in to her thoughts.

"Well actually I was going to ask…"

"Don't even bother McGee. Ziva go home." Gibbs said wanting to ignore the reason for Ziva's behavior, however the questions and behavior were starting to draw a connection in his mind. But for now he was just going to let it be a partner worried about her partner, he didn't want to go there just yet.

"No Gibbs, I have work to do." Ziva said not wanting to have to lie about "home".

"Ziva, there's no current case. Your paper work is done and you have reorganized all of our filing cabinets. Now, I know you have been here almost all day for the past 3 days. Now leave the building and go to bed. That's not a suggestion, that's an order. Leave this building and go to bed." Gibbs reprimanded. _If she keeps acting like this, I'm not going to be able to ignore it. _

Ziva looked at Gibbs and decided it wasn't worth the little energy she had left and grabbed her go bag and walked to the elevator. As she stepped into the elevator she was contemplating the conversation with Abby and if she should go see her again before she leaves. _It was nice to see her so excited about her night with a certain guy tonight. I just hope they can keep making it work. Should I help her get ready, No I'll ask her about it tomorrow for now…go to sleep Ziva it will be good for you, if it will find me tonight. _As the elevator reached the garage she entered her car and left the Navy Yard on autopilot.

As the elevator doors closed, the stairwell door opened wide, with no one the wiser.

"McNo-social-life shocker you're here at work at 11 o'clock at night." Tony stated sitting at his computer.

"Great and the peaceful feeling is gone." McGee muttered under his breath

"What was that McMumbler?"

"Nothing, Tony. And I'm not the only one here. Gibbs is here, I'm waiting for Abby to be done to drive her home, and as a matter of fact Ziva just left before you came in."

"Where to Start… One Gibbs is always here. Two, why are you driving Abby home, you're not starting the whole goth and nerdy thing backup are you? And three, Ziva is Ziva, you can't use her as an example for she is a machine." Tony stated matter of factly.

"l'm not telling you anything about why I'm driving Abby home. You gossip like a little old lady. And I wouldn't call Ziva a machine after this week." McGee retorted

''And why would that be, McGee?" Tony said trying to hide his worry.

"She looks like she hasn't slept in days and she has been unfocused and Gibbs ordered her to sleep."

Gibbs entered the bullpen and sat at his desk and started to shutdown his computer. "McGee, DiNozzo go home rest up. We aren't on call this weekend. DiNozzo, the report from your assignment can be turned in on Monday."

"I thought you told Ziva that it wasn't an assignment. That it was a conference, Boss." McGee questioned.

"Go home!" Gibbs said irritated.

"Yes Boss!" They both responded, Tony a little mere eagerly them Tim.

They both headed for the elevator. McGee to the Lab to pick up Abby for their date she was getting ready for. Tony was waiting anxiously for the elevator to reach the parking garage so he could hop in his car and go home.

As the boys entered the elevator she was reaching the apartment complex, as Ziva opened the door to the apartment she did her normal routine. Which involved; talking off her shoes, putting her go bag in the closet next to her coat. Walking by and putting her keys in the end table dish while taking out her Star of David necklace and her favorite ring. Once, again wishing that she had a job where she could wear them without hesitation of losing them, she was not going to risk having to replace another Star of David necklace. Nope, so now she decided no jewelry at work. She moved to the couch to snuggle up and read a book before bed, but a feeling of loneliness washed over her and so she decided to just go to bed, like Gibbs ordered.

Hoping for once Tony would give him a straight answer when they were in the elevator McGee decided to ask, "Hey, Tony! So what was it, a Conference or assignment?"

"I was at a conference McGee." Tony saw the look of frustration Tim was giving him and decided to tell him the whole truth. "I was on an observe and report for Vance… again. I was watching one of the FBI's agents. Unfortunately it wasn't Agent Sacks. My cover was almost blown, it was close call. But I got out with my cover intact. So it was an assignment at a conference." Tony told the closest thing to a brother he had.

"Wow, Tony I had no idea. I'm glad everything worked out.'' Relieved the annoying class clown he thought of as a brother was ok.

"Thanks, Tim. Me too!" Tony said rarely using McGee's first name.

"Does anyone know it was an assignment besides Gibbs and Vance?"

That question made Tony nervous, "No one else was suppose to know." But how could Ziva not know, She was his partner, she has known something was up during their movie night the day he found out. And now he told McGee. "Well Probie, Abby made my cover, so she does… and Ziva did her ninja death stare after Vance told me and I told her… and now I told you. But no one else was suppose to know, so if you tell anyone I'll get Ziva to kill you with a paperclip and Abby to clean up the crime scene." Tony ended with his threatening voice.

"Hey McTim, I know that Abby is down in Labby getting ready for your date, and I know that you two have been dating since Ziva's induction ceremony last year. It doesn't matter how I know. I'm just glad you two are happy again." Tony stated sincerely.

"Thanks Tony. I think it's going to work this time. I only want her. I just had to wait for her to get there too. Look Tony, I'm sorry about Ziva, I know you have been wanting to settle down with her since Soma…since we got her back. She'll get there. Just don't give up on her. She's worth the fight. And, you deserve to be happy too." McGee said sincerely and fearing what Tony will say to this kind of open talk.

"She's not worth the fight. She's worth so much more than that. She's worth everything I can give her. I think I could do it. I think I could settle down and make her happy."

"I think you could too, if that's what you really wanted."

"Never wanted anything more, McSerious. Now, you're about to go out with Abby, stop getting all McMotional on me." Tony segwayed out of the conversation as the doors opened, and McGee started to leave to walk to his awaiting girlfriend. "But Tim, thanks!"

Ziva lay in bed and rolled over. She looked over to the alarm clock; 1:25 am was illuminated in bright green from the alarm clock on her side of the bed. She rolled to face the other side of her double bed with an audible sigh._ It is not Gibbs' fault. I should be able to do this on my own. It is not like he did this on purpose, he does not even know! You have just softened too much. Use that training Director David is so proud of and Male Up! No it is man up._ She gave on more audible sigh and closed her eye attempted to go to Sleep. Ziva was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the door open or close. She felt the bed shift beside her and an arm snake around her waist. In an instant she had rolled over and pinned the body next to her down with knee on the intruder's chest.

"Oww! Zi, what are you doing?"

"Tony!" She squeaked with a grin.

"Pain. Zi, your knee!" he whispered.

"Sorry. Tony what are you doing, you are suppose to be on assignment." She said looking down at him as she moved the knee that was on his chest to the other side to sit astride on his lap.

"Well sweet cheeks, I got done early and decided to come home and be with you sooner so I caught an earlier flight. Now why is McGee saying you aren't sleeping?

"What?" She asked innocently.

"McGee said Gibbs sent you home to sleep. So why haven't you been sleeping?"

"That does not matter, now." She tried to brush off his comment by moving to lie down in to his side.

"It certainly does matter. Now Spill."

Ziva snuggled into Tony's side to mutter her answer into his chest "Well, it turns out l can not sleep without you beside me."

"Turns out l can't either." He muttered in to her hair as he kissed her temple as he grabbed her hand and started wiggling her ring back and forth.

"I thought Gibbs sending you away was going to make this easier but it did not" She stated

"Nice to know you think me leaving is nothing, Zi." He joked back.

"That is not what I am talking about! I am talking about slipping up and letting them know." She said looking down at her ring.

"We'll tell them eventually. When you are ready, I already have what I need." He said kissing her forehead.

"I have what I need too, I am just too nervous. We are not telling them we are dating…we did not even think of it then. We just dated for 8 months and got engaged without anyone knowing but us…"

"We didn't want to break the team, if we couldn't handle this, but now know we can handle anything. I love you, Sweetchecks. How about this, if they don't find out before a date is set then we'll tell them, I'm assuming you want Gibbs to walk you down the aisle." He reasoned with her. "Or we can just wait until we are married and have kids." He joked always trying to lighten the mood.

"Right, I do. He needs to be, for me and for you, and him. Wait, Kids? Kids would be nice" She smiled in to him.

"Now that that is settled, go to sleep."

AN: I was thinking of adding a little epilogue time thing about McGee and Abby finding out the next morning. Let me know if I should continue it please. Reviews would be nice.


End file.
